


I Just Want To Talk

by Wildcard_Rumi



Series: Persona 5 One Shots [18]
Category: Persona 5 Royal
Genre: Dubious Morality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard_Rumi/pseuds/Wildcard_Rumi
Summary: After being overwhelmed by his conflicting emotions, Ren decides to directly question Maruki about his actions.
Series: Persona 5 One Shots [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731472
Comments: 6
Kudos: 84





	I Just Want To Talk

A shaky sigh left Ren's mouth as he stared out of the window, up at the stars glittering in the inky black sky. His thoughts were running wild. He was doing the right thing… He knew he was doing the right thing… So, why? Why did he feel so torn up about his decision? The look on Sumire's face when she was forced to face the truth haunted him. Everyone else had accepted the true reality, but he still felt so guilty… He felt as if he had ripped their happiness away from them… Morgana had been assuring him that he was fine, but just the fact that he had to go on a walk to clear his head told Ren the opposite.

But, the main thing that bothered him was Maruki-sensei… Just… What the hell happened to him? Why was he acting so…? Ren frowned as he tried to make sense of everything that had happened the past week. Kasumi was really Sumire… He saw people who were supposed to be dead… Morgana was a human for a brief amount of time… Goro was alive… Maruki-sensei had a persona… Something about his persona unsettled Ren. It didn't feel right… He needed… He needed to know what happened to that kind counselor who listened to his problems. He needed to know what tipped him over the edge. He couldn't wait a whole month with all these unanswered questions swirling around his head.

Ren let out a determined huff as he made up his mind. He grabbed the nearest pair of shoes and his coat. He knew no one would think this was a good idea, but he had to know. All he had to do was go to Odaiba, ask Maruki a few questions and then get back before anyone realised he was gone. He checked the time on his phone.

_21:10PM_

Three hours was plenty of time. Gripping tightly onto his phone, Ren made his way down the stairs and towards the front door.

Reality distorted around Ren as he reached his destination. His heart pounded nervously. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even considered what he was going to ask Maruki… He had just kinda decided that he was going to talk to him and walked over on autopilot… But now that he was in his Joker outfit, he knew that he had to take this seriously. He ran through the questions he needed answers to in his head as he walked down the long winding path to the elevator into the palace. As the elevator carried him to his destination, Maruki's parting words at Shujin rang through his ears.

_"If your problems become too much, it's okay to run away."_

Something about those words always felt so wrong to Ren… Something about those words just made his stomach churn… They didn't sound like Maruki-sensei… Yet those words left his lips… It was just wrong. Ren hated it. He needed to know what the hell was going on.

_Ding!_

The sound informed Ren that he had finally arrived at the main building of the palace as the door slid open. He took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator. He glanced around at the pure white room. It was so sickeningly clean… It made him feel nervous. He walked across the room towards the large doors. He wasn't even trying to hide himself as he swung the doors open. The patrolling shadows in the next room flinched at the sudden noise before raising the alarm.

"An intruder! Grab him!"

Ren lifted his hands into the air to show that he had no intention of fighting. Sure, he still had his knife and his gun just in case things went south, but he didn't have any intention to use them yet.

"I just want to talk to Maruki-sensei." He stated. The shadows froze at that unexpected response. They looked at each other, questioning if what they had just heard was correct.

"Y-You just want to talk?"

"You're not tricking us so you can steal his treasure, right?"

Ren shook his head.

"I just want to ask him some questions. Besides, I can't steal his treasure without sending a calling card first."

The shadows glanced at each other again, turning their backs to the phantom thief.

"Sh-Should we trust him?"

"He doesn't seem to be a threat… Do we think we should take him to Lord Maruki?"

"I mean… he hasn't attacked us yet… And even if he does attack Lord Maruki, he's only one kid and Lord Maruki has Azathoth to protect him… It should be fine…"

"Yeah… Yeah, you have a point… Okay, so we take the kid to Lord Maruki like he wants?"

"Yeah, seems like a plan."

Ren rolled his eyes as the conversation continued. His arms were getting tired… Did it really take this long to make one small decision?

"Alright. We'll take you to Lord Maruki, but don't think about trying anything, got it?!" One of the shadows eventually spoke up as they turned back to face Ren.

"Thank you." Ren replied bluntly, lowering his aching arms as the shadows positioned themselves in front and behind him before leading him deeper into the palace so he could come face to face with the ruler.

"Lord Maruki! We're terribly sorry for interrupting you, Sir! But, we have someone who wants to talk to you." The shadows apologised as they marched Ren into a lab-like room. He could see the man himself sat at a desk, analysing some data recorded from Mementos.

"Talk…?" He murmured in confusion as he turned his chair to face them. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.

"Amamiya-kun…? Wh-Why are you…?" He asked in surprise, pushing himself out of his seat.

"I needed to ask you some questions." Ren replied. Takuto frowned.

"I told all of you that I'd hear your answer in a month…"

"I'm here alone. I needed to talk to you." Ren answered honestly, ignoring the anxious churning in his stomach. Takuto gazed at the teenage thief with a shocked expression. He hadn't anticipated this at all. Letting out a soft sigh, he flashed a gentle smile at Ren.

"Alright… Come with me." He gestured for Ren to follow him.

"Lord Maruki, would you like us to escort you? There's no telling what this thief might try…" One of the shadows offered as Ren trailed behind the palace ruler. Takuto shook his head with a smile.

"No, it's quite alright. I trust him. He won't do anything." He assured them as he pushed the door open and wandered off down the corridor. Ren followed close behind, hiding his relief that Takuto trusted him. It was rare for people to trust him. They always just believed the rumours and assumed the worst about him.

"Here we are. After you, Amamiya-kun." Takuto announced as they reached a room at the end of the long corridor, holding the door open and gesturing for Ren to enter. The room resembled a counselor's office. Of course this is where Takuto would want to talk to him… The moment Ren stepped inside, his thief outfit dissipated. He glanced down at his civilian clothes in surprise.

"You're not my enemy, Amamiya-kun. I don't want to fight you." Takuto informed him as he shut the door behind them.

"B-But-"

"But nothing. I don't see you as a threat. You're a friend." Takuto doubled down on his stance as he took a seat at the desk, offering the nearby sofa to Ren. The raven haired boy reluctantly took a seat. His heart pounded against his chest as he sat down. The increased heart rate made his temperature skyrocket; Ren began to sweat uncomfortably. In an attempt to cool himself down, he slid his coat off and placed it next to him on the sofa.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about, Amamiya-kun?" Asked Takuto, readjusting his pure white jacket. Ren frowned anxiously.

"What happened to you?"

Takuto tilted his head, genuinely confused by the question. "I'm sorry? I don't quite understand what you mean?"

Ren fiddled with his fingers as he tried to figure out how to word his thoughts.

"What… changed you? What happened to the nice counselor I met at Shujin?" He eventually asked. Takuto raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't changed, Amamiya-kun. I simply have nothing to hold me back anymore. At Shujin, I did everything I could to help your students. But my 'everything' back then was simply talking you through your problems and helping you solve them. However, now I have the power to fix all of those problems myself. I can alter reality so none of those problems ever existed!" The palace ruler answered with a delighted smile. Ren felt a nervous sweat drip down his chin. The look in Maruki's eyes… It unnerved him.

"Even so! Why would you go this far?! What drove you to this?!" Ren demanded an answer. Takuto's smile fell.

"I thought you of all people would understand, Amamiya-kun…"

"What…?"

"This world is a torturous mess… Almost everyone suffers. The only people who don't suffer are the ones in power, who go out of their way to make life even more painful for those underneath them… With my power… With my persona… I can put a stop to that! I can end everyone's suffering!"

"But, surely you've gotta see how extreme your plan is!"

"Of course, I do! I know it's crazy! But it's the only way to save everyone from their pain!"

"But, I- We-!"

"I know, Amamiya-kun. But the Phantom Thieves can only do so much!"

Ren gasped with a baffled expression.

"Wh… What do you mean?"

"You can only change one heart at a time… You can only save so many people that way. Even if you take down one corrupted adult, there will be more, each with their own victims." Takuto explained, frowning at Ren. He felt terrible for criticising Ren's sense of justice, but he needed to understand the limitations of his actions.

"We changed the heart of the general public! We saved them from Yaldabaoth!" Ren argued, growing agitated.

"And did anything change?"

Ren froze at Takuto's blunt question.

"Wh-What?"

"Did anything change when you stole the public's treasure? Did they become more open minded? More accepting? More courageous? Or did they just return to their usual routines, ignoring the suffering of those around them?" Takuto expanded, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees. Ren's breath hitched in his throat.

Everyone stopped clinging to Shido as their guiding light and… and… and… Nothing else… Nothing else changed… Did… Did that even count as a change of heart…?

Ren stared down at his lap in disbelief. They really didn't do anything, did they? Takuto frowned sadly at him.

"You see? I'm sorry, Amamiya-kun, but this is the only way. This is the only way to ensure that everyone is happy. No one will ever be victimised ever again in my ideal reality. I will save everyone from their pain and suffering. I won't let anyone stop me. I hope you understand that, Amamiya-kun."

Ren grimaced in frustration at Takuto's words. He couldn't think of any way to counter. Takuto was wrong! So why?! Why couldn't he find anything wrong with his motives?!

Takuto sighed softly as the teenager's irritation. He spoke up again.

"Ren."

The raven haired boy flinched at the sudden use of his first name. He looked back up at the chestnut haired man.

"I want to save you too."

"Wh-"

"You've suffered so much in just this past year alone… What else have you been through beforehand?"

Ren flinched at that question.

"I-I haven't…"

"Your body language says otherwise."

Ren cursed as he realised his entire body had unconsciously tensed up. Takuto looked at him with a sympathetic gaze. It made Ren feel as if he was staring straight through him.

"Is it perhaps your parents?"

"N-No…!"

Takuto sighed softly, a sad look in his eyes.

"You don't need to lie, Ren… I only want to help..."

"I don't-!"

"I know what's wrong, Ren. It's my job to pick up on these things."

"You don't know anything about me…" Ren muttered, readying himself to grab his coat and leave. He should've known that this conversation would be pointless… He was never going to get through to him…

"You're scared of the world, aren't you?"

Ren froze.

He looked back up at Takuto with a cautious expression.

Takuto looked back with a knowing expression.

"You're scared that no one will ever accept you."

Ren remained silent as his heart began pounding.

"You're afraid that people will always assume the worst of you because of all the misinformation spread about you."

"N-No…"

"You feel like no one will ever want to see the real you, so you remain hidden by all of the masks you display to make everyone around you happy."

"I-I don't…"

"You put everyone else's needs ahead of yours because you feel like you're not worth anything."

"That's n-not…"

"You're terrified of being hurt by those close to you, so you try not to form any relationships that don't have any merits for you."

"Stop it…"

"You feel like you're constantly being watched by those who have power over you so you try to act like something you're not."

"Sh-Shut... up…"

"You're terrified of the memories that continuously haunt you so you try to think of ways to free yourself from those nightmares."

"Shut up…"

"You came to talk to me today because you're unsure of your decision. You feel like you betrayed all of your friends and teammates by pulling them out of their dreams."

"Shut up...!"

"You just wish you could hide away where no one could ever force their expectations onto you or hurt you or take advantage of you ever again. You wish you could just be left alone."

"SHUT UP!!!"

Ren shrieked as he couldn't handle anymore. Hot, angry tears streamed down his face. His heart pounded erratically against his chest. A cold, nervous sweat clung uncomfortably to his clothes. He sprung out of his seat and sped towards the door, desperate to escape Takuto's scarily accurate analysis. As he neared the door, he tripped on a loose shoelace and crashed onto the hard tiled floor with a loud 'bang!'

"Ggh!" He groaned as pain shot through his arm. Takuto frowned sorrowfully at the frightened teen.

"Ren… It's okay to run away…" He murmured as he pushed himself out of his seat.

"No, it's not! Running away solves nothing!" Ren growled out through his tears.

"You put too much pressure on yourself… You don't have to act strong all of the time… You're only human, you're allowed to be vulnerable." Takuto reassured him as he slowly and carefully approached the panicked boy.

"No, I can't! The moment I show any weakness, it's all over! They'll strike as soon as I let my guard down!" Screeched Ren as he kicked his legs in an attempt to keep Takuto away. He didn't even know who 'they' were anymore… A pained expression engulfed Takuto as he bent down to Ren's eye level.

"Ren… You're only a child…"

Ren gasped as his eyes shot open at that sentence. He couldn't help but look up at Takuto, completely stunned. The chestnut haired man gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Sure, you're a phantom thief. You've changed the hearts of criminals, you've saved countless people, you brought a corrupt politician to justice… But at the end of the day, you're still only a child… You shouldn't have had to do that. It wasn't your responsibility. It was the responsibility of the adults around you, and they failed you. I failed you. It's okay for you to act like a teenager. It's not your fault that life dealt you a terrible hand." He explained softly, patting Ren's shoulder the entire time.

Ren's eyes widened as the realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

Yeah… Why was he the one who had to take care of those? Why the hell was he the one who had to bring those bastards to justice? Why the fuck did no one even bother to help him when he needed them?!

Takuto lifted his hand from Ren's shoulder to Ren's head, gently ruffling his hair after noticing the teen's enraged snarl.

"You need to prioritize yourself sometimes, Ren." He muttered sadly as he rubbed his gloves hand against Ren's fluffy hair.

"Wha-?"

"You're always doing everything you can to help your friends with their problems… But, in the grand scheme of things, what have they done for you?"

"Th-That's not…"

'That's not fair on them!' was what Ren wanted to say, but the words just couldn't leave his mouth as he stared up at the palace ruler.

"You always rush to their side to help them with whatever was bothering them… You even changed the hearts of the people who caused problems for them, but have they ever done the same for you? Even after that nightmare in the interrogation room… What did they do for you?"

Ren could barely think straight. He wanted to argue against him, but… but…! Why couldn't he?! He hated himself for remaining silent.

"Even after the hell you went through to keep them safe, they simply commended your strength and moved onto targeting Shido…" Takuto answered his own question.

"W-We had to…! I-If we didn't, h-he…!" Ren tried to refute Takuto's claims.

"Even so, it was obvious that you were in pain… They should've at least given you a few days to heal up…" Takuto argued softly. He didn't blame them, they were only children themselves after all… But, still… They could've done that as a bare minimum… It wasn't that hard to let someone rest…

"B-But, I...! I…!" Ren had no idea what he even wanted to say anymore. Takuto knelt down so he was sat on the floor in front of Ren. He gently wiped a tear from the young boy's eye.

"Ren… I just want to save you."

He smiled at Ren. A soft, caring smile. A smile that held all the gentleness and love in the world. It was like a parent smiling down at their child. A smile that told Ren that there was someone who cared for him. And yet…

It terrified Ren.

He wasn't sure why…

The smile made him feel so safe… and yet it made every last part of him scream 'run away!'. He could swear that he felt the presence of a persona...

"M-Ma-Maruki-sensei…?" Ren uttered as he trembled against the man's gloved hand.

"It's alright, Ren… You're safe now… You can hide, if you want to…" Whispered Takuto, that unnerving smile still on his face.

"N-...No…" Ren muttered half heartedly. His head felt… weird… He couldn't think straight at all… It was as if a fog had descended onto his mind. An overwhelming feeling of fatigue washed over him. He could barely stay upright, let alone keep his eyes open. His body fell forward, caught by Takuto and propped onto his shoulder before Ren could hit the floor. Takuto gently patted Ren's back.

"It's alright… I'll save you…" The palace ruler murmured quietly. The realisation of what was happening hit Ren but he couldn't will his body to move at all.

"Wh-What did… you…?" Was all he could utter.

"You're always acting like a hero for everyone else, it's about time you had your own hero." Was Takuto's reply with a soft smile. Ren groaned as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"I… I… don't… want…" The fatigue got the better of Ren before he could finish his sentence. His body fell limp against Takuto's as his consciousness faded. A conflicted smile appeared on Takuto's face as he carefully shifted Ren.

"It's for your own good…" He muttered as he glanced up at his persona. Azathoth stared down at it's user and the young boy in his arms. Takuto chuckled softly as Ren mumbled quietly in his sleep.

"You called, Lord Maruki?" A shadow enquired as they peeked around the doorframe. Takuto looked up in surprise; quickly calming himself after realising that Azathoth had summoned them.

"Yes. Would you kindly prepare a room for him, please?" He asked, gesturing to Ren with a nod of his head as he stood up. The shadow was stunned by this request.

"A-Are you sure, Sir?" They asked. Takuto smiled at them.

"He'll be safe here." Was his simple response.

"Oh." The shadow murmured as they understood their ruler's intention. "Right away, Sir."

Takuto watched as the shadow scurried away. A determined huff left his mouth as he glanced down at Ren.

"Don't worry… I will fix this torturous world."

Sojiro was stood in his kitchen, washing the dishes as the clock struck eleven. His mind was preoccupied as he listened to the sound of whatever anime Futaba was watching this time softly echoing out from the living room. He carefully placed each clean dish onto the drying rack before grabbing another one.

_Crack!_

The loud noise made him flinch. He glanced down to discover a mug that had randomly cracked.

"The hell…?" He muttered as he took a closer look. How did it break? The bearded man wasn't sure why, but he had a sinking feeling in his gut. He frowned in disappointment as he threw it into the bin. That was a shame… That was the mug that… that…? Huh? Who always used that mug, again? Their name was right on the tip of his tongue… That's weird… He couldn't really picture this person either… In the end, he conceded defeat. He couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried. He shook his head dismissively as he continued washing the dishes.

Grumbling softly, Goro stirred as his alarm went off. It didn't take long until he was fully awake for the day. He went about his morning routine; taking a shower, brushing his teeth, brushing his hair, getting dressed, eating breakfast. He was going to be busy today. They had to take down Maruki as soon as possible, so they would probably be starting their first infiltration as a whole group today. Although… if they were meeting up… Ren usually would have sent a message by now…

"Don't tell me that idiot's slept in again…" He huffed as he opened up the Thieves' Chat.

[ **Phantom Thieves**

 **Crow:** So, are we infiltrating Maruki's palace today or what?

 **Crow:** I am not letting him rewrite reality just because Ren was an idiot and slept in again.

 **Crow:** When are we meeting up?]

Dread coursed through his entire body at the reply he received.

 **[Skull:** Who?

 **Panther:** Ren?

 **Crow:** Don't play dumb.

 **Crow:** I'm not in the mood for stupid jokes.

 **Oracle:** Goro, no offence but

 **Oracle:** What in the goddamn hell are you talking about?

 **Fox:** I don't recall this 'Ren' person either.

 **Crow:** Oh fuck off

 **Crow:** I know we have a difficult past with each other but that is no reason to drive me insane with a stupid prank

 **Queen:** Akechi-kun, who on earth are you talking about?

 **Crow:** Ren!

 **Crow:** This isn't funny!

 **Crow:** Ren Amamiya!

 **Crow:** Joker!

 **Crow:** Leader of the Phantom Thieves!

 **Crow:** Shujin, Second Year!

 **Crow:** Class 2-D!

 **Crow:** Ring any fucking bells?!

 **Noir:** Um…

 **Noir:** I'm sorry, Akechi-kun…

 **Noir:** But, I'm afraid I have no idea who you're talking about…

 **Panther:** Uhhhhh, there isn't a Ren Amamiya in 2-D…. I should know, that's my class…

 **Crow:** What the hell?

 **Skull:** You okay there, buddy?

 **Oracle:** You hit your head or something?

 **Crow:** I

 **Crow:** Excuse me]

"What the fuck is going on…?" The chestnut haired boy muttered to himself. It didn't seem like any of them were pretending… But, they reconnected with reality yesterday… They should remember everything! Why the hell have they suddenly forgotten Ren?! As he tried to make sense of what was going on, his phone buzzed in his hand. It was a text from Sumire.

 **[Sumire:** Um…

 **Sumire:** Akechi-senpai?

 **Sumire:** I understand that you probably don't want to talk to me after all the trouble I've caused but something weird is happening…

 **Goro:** Don't be ridiculous, Sumire. I'm just glad you're safe.

 **Goro:** What's wrong? Because some weird stuff has happened to me too.

 **Sumire:** I went to Leblanc because I thought a cup of coffee would help me clear my head and rearrange my thoughts…

 **Sumire:** But, when I mentioned Ren-senpai to Sakura-san, he had no idea who I was talking about…

 **Sumire:** And when I tried to explain, he just looked at me like I was insane…

 **Goro:** Him too?!

 **Goro:** What the hell is going on?!

 **Sumire:** 'Too'???

 **Goro:** None of the thieves knew who I was talking about, either…

 **Sumire:** What…?

 **Sumire:** Do

 **Sumire:** Do you think Maruki-sensei has something to do with this?

 **Goro:** It's a definite possibility.

 **Goro:** And if that bastard's done anything to Ren, I swear to god…

 **Sumire:** Maruki-sensei would never hurt him!

 **Goro:** Well, he's clearly done something!

 **Goro:** Thank you for the information, Sumire.

 **Goro:** I need to check something. Talk to you later.

 **Goro:** I hope you're doing better.]

Goro quickly exited the chat app and began scrolling through his contacts. Huh…? Where the hell was Ren's number?! He knew damn well that he hadn't deleted it! He kept scrolling up and down but still no sign of Ren's number.

"C'mon… What was it…?" Goro willed himself to remember the number. He always had a great memory, so now he needed to make use of it. An excited gasp left his mouth as the number entered his mind. The chestnut haired boy hurriedly typed it into his phone and dialled.

The phone rang.

And rang.

And rang..

And rang…

"C'mon… Pick up already… Please…!"

Music echoed through the room as the phone rang. The screen displayed the caller's info. They were saved under the nickname 'Gorororororo <3'. The photo used was a selfie taken by Ren, the raven haired boy grinning cheekily with his arm around a very unimpressed Goro, his hair messed up and Ren's glasses on his face.

A troubled frown appeared on Takuto's face as he sighed at the phone in his hand. It was always Akechi… Akechi always managed to avoid the distortions… How…?

"How the hell does he keep-?"

"Maruki-sensei?" A soft voice called out to him as the door opened.

"Yes?" Takuto sweetly replied, hiding the phone in his pocket and switching it onto silent. The sight that greeted him was Ren. Dressed in all white. A baggy shirt, simple trousers and slip on shoes. His outfit was similar to a hospital patient's outfit. A soft smile enveloped Takuto's face.

"Good morning, Ren! You're up early, can I help you with anything?" The man enquired, ignoring the phone vibrating against his thigh. Ren returned the sweet smile.

"Good morning! I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here! I… I wasn't really sure what I should do after my parents died… So when you said you'd take me in… That really made me feel so relieved! So, thank you!" Ren exclaimed, bashfully shuffling his foot against the tiled floor. Takuto stared at him with a stunned expression before chuckling softly.

"You don't need to thank me for anything. I'm just glad that you feel safe here." He replied, gently ruffling Ren's hair. Ren looked up at him in surprise before letting out a carefree giggle.

"But, still! I've gotta thank you somehow!" He protested light-heartedly. Takuto couldn't help but laugh. Ren's happiness was contagious.

"Don't be silly! I was happy to help!" He chuckled in amusement.

"I'm not! C'mon, there's gotta be something I can do! Could I help with your research in any way? I'm not sure what I could do, but there's gotta be something, right?!" Ren persisted, determined to show his gratitude. A sudden thought flashed through Takuto's mind at that suggestion. He quickly pushed that thought to the side.

"There is something I can do! I can tell by that look in your eyes! What is it?" Ren declared, pointing an accusatory finger at Takuto. The chestnut haired man sighed exasperatedly at Ren's triumphant smirk.

"No, no, it's nothing really. Don't worry about it." He replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"I won't know if it's nothing until I hear it. C'mon, tell me what it is! I'll say if I don't wanna do it." Ren answered, crossing his arms across his chest. Takuto huffed in defeat, rolling his eyes with a grin.

"I was just wondering if you'd allow me to analyse some of your personas. I find your ability to summon multiple personas absolutely fascinating! I'd love to learn more!" Takuto admitted. If he recalled correctly, it was called the 'power of the wildcard'... A very suitable title for Ren. Perhaps this ability could help him learn more about the Metaverse and the possibilities that arose within it.

"Well… If I summon too many of them in a row, it really drains me… Would one for each arcana help?" Ren murmured thoughtfully. Takuto's eyes glittered excitedly as he grabbed ahold of Ren's shoulders.

"That would be perfect, Ren! Thank you so much! I can't wait to see the results!" He exclaimed cheerfully. Ren burst out laughing at his enthusiasm.

"I'm just happy that I can help!" He giggled with a bright smile, a small dimple appearing on his left cheek. Coughing slightly as his laughter began to calm down, Ren turned around and wandered back over to the door.

"I'll head over to the lab now!" He announced as he exited the room.

"Don't you think eating some breakfast should be a higher priority?" Takuto called after him.

"Oh crap! Yeah, I forgot!" Takuto rolled his eyes at Ren's forgetfulness. He waited until he heard Ren run around the corner before pulling the phone back out of his pocket. He glanced down at the screen.

_[7 Missed calls and 15 unread messages from Gorororororo <3]_

_[3 Missed calls and 21 unread messages from Sumi ( /^ω^)/♪♪]_

Takuto sighed as his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Yoshizawa-san as well…?" He muttered as he exited the room. How…? How did those two still remember Ren? He made sure to rewrite their cognition of him… He knew he did… So, how were they able to hold onto their memories of him? He bit his lip as he tried to make sense of the two.

"I won't let them ruin his happiness…" He whispered under his breath as he held the phone over the edge of the balcony.

And dropped it.

_"The number you have dialled is currently not available or not in service. Please redial or try again later."_


End file.
